Finding Wonderland
by xXKaidynXx
Summary: It's been eight years since Alice was last in Wonderland, because her parents locked her away inside and Asylum! If she gets out will she be able to return and reunite with Mad Hatter and the others? If she is able to return to Wonderland will everything be as it was before? Or will things have changed since then? Rated M for language and for later sexual content. Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

**I was reading a fic when the opening line popped in my head, and I haven't been able to stop since. I have the first seven chapters written at this point. I just have to get them typed up. I have an almost 13 month old daughter to take care of, and of course getting more the story written! I actually have to admit that when I was a kid I grew up with the cartoon Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, and it always seemed to scare me. It wasn't until the Tim Burton version came out that I found that I actually loved this world, and wanted to write a story about it, and now this is my chance. X3 please Read and Review. I really want to know what people think about this.**

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><p><strong>Finding Wonderland<strong>

**Chapter One**

"Why should we deem you sane, Alice?" An older male wearing a white doctor's coat asks as he crosses his hands atop a table in front of him and the pile of cream colored folders, one of them open showing papers that seems to belong to someone.

She gives a shrug of her shoulders. She's always thought that everyone was insane, therefore sane, but society doesn't see it that way, and thus lock people away that they deem too insane to mingle within in the "normal" human population. They had diagnosed her with schizophrenia. Alice had thought that meant hearing malicious voices in one's head, not having such vivid memories that they play out as if they were actually happening. Memories of tea parties with Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, and sometimes even Cheshire. Playing tricks on the Queen of Hearts with the Tweedle twins, only to be scolded by the White Rabbit, or having deep-thought conversations with Caterpillar. The only thing she misses the most are the nights she'd spend alone with Hatter, looking up at the stars as she rested in his arms, wrapped in his warmth as if she were some kind of precious irreplaceable jewel.

"Alice Liddle, you have been here for eight years. Brought in here claiming that a place called Wonderland existed and the people that supposedly reside there are just as real. We, the doctors here, have done everything we can short of electric-shock therapy to cure you of such notions. You claim that the medication, the one to cure schizophrenia, is working, so please tell us why we should deem you sane enough to return to society?" The same male that had spoken before asks now.

"What makes anyone sane?" Alice answers in a calm voice, her hands placed gently in her lap. None of their medications had worked on her, but she got sick and tired of them trying to "cure" her, that she kept her memoires of Wonderland to herself, and acted as if she didn't get them anymore. All that she wants is to be set free and hopefully find a way to return to Wonderland so that she can be with her friends again, and spend her nights with Hatter once again.

"I no longer hear the voices if that is what you're asking me." Not that she ever heard voices in the first place, but that's what the doctors here claim; is that Wonderland is nothing but voices in her head. "But isn't that why you gave me the medication to begin with?" She inquires and resists the urge to cock a sunny blonde brow at them. That would only make them see her as defiant, and make them think that she's lying.

"Yes, that is what the medication is for, but that still doesn't answer the question, Alice. Why should we deem you sane?"

Again Alice shrugs her shoulders. There is no right way to answer that. At least not without answering with her own questions. "Doctor, am I viewed as a threat to myself or to others? Is not the medication you prescribed for me working as it should? Are those no the requirements to be deemed sane and fit to reside with the rest of the populace?" She tosses back and tries desperately to hide the smug smile from her plump full lips. Lips that hatter had loved to steal kisses from. Would he still love to do such a thing once she returns to Wonderland after such a long absence?

"No you are not seen as a threat to yourself, or to others, and it does say in the reports that the medication is working as it should. But how would you provide for yourself, Alice?"

"I received notice that my illing grandmother has passed away and that she has left her home and money to me, knowing that I would need it to support myself should I ever be released, especially following the event of my parents' death." Alice answers without hesitation. The doctors know that if she has money to support herself on that she won't be living on the streets and that she won't have to get a job, thus keeping out of society's way, and keeping her from having to interact with strangers on a regular basis. "Does that deem me safe enough to be released?" Alice presses. She's always hated this blasted dance. This stupid doctors love to hang freedom where their patience can see it, but can't quite reach it, and depending on the answers given freedom is either granted or taken away until another date to have this dance repeated all over again.

The doctor that had been conversing with her reaches away from himself to grab a stamp that will either grant her release or entrap her longer in this drab hellhole of an asylum. Two ink pads are opened with their color facing away from her. The doctor presses the stamp into one of the ink pads before pressing it against the paper.

Alice's heart pounds in her chest in rapid succession as she waits for the doctor to hand her the paper he had just stamped. One he does, Alice takes it and expects to see red. At the sight of green, it takes everything within herself not to jump to her feet and dance with joy at finally having freedom. Alice schools her features into a calm mask, there will be time for dancing, like when she returns to Wonderland and reunites with Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, where she can have another tea party with her friends. The Queen of Hearts will probably be even happy to see her once again. Maybe it's been too quiet at the palace without her and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum playing tricks on her and her Knave of Hearts? Alice can only hope. She kind of misses White Rabbit's scolding over the tricks that she's played.

"You will be released once we have all the proper papers in order. Until then you may collect your things and reside in the recreation center." The head doctor states in his cold calm voice. Alice gives a solemn nod of her head before climbing to her feet and is escorted away by one of the guard acting orderlies.

**ALICE**

Alice sits in the recreation center of the asylum, the small bag of personal belongings from her room resting in her lap as she watches a mindless television show with a twitchy patient that talks to themselves, and seemingly about the show. Their fingers twiddling mindlessly together while their head jerks violently at random moments. The violent force of each jerk makes Alice wonder how they manage not to break their neck.

"Alice Liddle." She hears someone call. She almost sighs with relief and climbs to her feet and heads over to the orderly that called her name.

"Present." Alice comments looking up at the orderly. The gentleman just looks at her with a stern look that doesn't faze Alice in the slightest.

He holds out a small brown paper bag to her. "Here is the rest of your personal belongings, and prescription slip for your medication. It is to be filled on your way home." The orderly says in a stern voice. Alice gives a quick nod in answers and takes the bag.

"There's a cab waiting for you outside." The orderly adds before easing Alice towards freedom. He follows her to the doors before easing her to a stop.

"You've come a long way, Alice Liddle. Don't give anyone any reason to send you back here; relapses aren't taken well by the board of doctor's here." The orderly says. Alice gives a solemn nod. She won't have to worry about relapse since she has no desire to return to this place once she finds her way back to Wonderland. Unless of course her Wonderland friends don't wish for her return, then she will return to this drab world and reside in it.

"I promise you won't see me here again." Alice answers before giving a small smile and exits the building to enter the cab. Once inside she gives the cabby her grandmother's address. She would go find a pharmacy and get her prescription filled, but that would involve Alice knowing where a pharmacy was.

The cabby doesn't bother trying to strike up conversation with Alice on the way to her grandmother's home, so Alice just sits calmly in the back seat with her bags beside her as she stares out the window and watches the world go by in a whirlwind of steal, brick, and fabric.

All too soon the yellow cab pulls up the long winding driveway of her grandmother's old Victorian Mansion. Alice grips the handle to the door before remembering that the cabby needs to be paid. She opens her mouth to say something only to have the cabby raises a hand to stop her.

"The institution already paid me for your ride home. You have a nice day now, Miss." The cabby says in a gentle voice and tips his hat to her. Alice gives him a kind smile in return as well as a nod of her head.

"You too." Alice manages to reply before slipping out of the vehicle and closing the door behind herself. She listens to the cab drive away as she looks up at her new home. Alice honestly can't remember the last time that she was at this place. She has plenty of memories of her grandmother, but most of them are at the asylum, especially after her parents died in the fire that consumed her home. The fire is mostly why Alice inherited this home from her grandmother. The money because she had no one else in the family to pass it onto.

"You could have given me pictures of the place, Grandma. I'll never figure this place out. I'll always be getting lost. Most likely just to find the bathroom." Alice says to herself. After a moment she pushes herself forward to her new home though she'd much rather find her old rabbit hole and return to Wonderland and the fun filled days and the warm cozy cuddle filled nights that if offers. The one that Alice desires to return to the most is her sweet mischievous Mad Hatter. It was from Hatter that Alice learned most of the pranks that she and the Tweedle twins played on the Queen and Knave of Hearts. Not that Queenie would ever know that, if she ever found out she would demand that Hatter pay for it by losing his head at the hand of one of Queenie's executioners and their heavy axe.

Alice shakes her head to dislodge the unpleasant though of losing her Mad Hatter in such a way. She presses forward towards her new home. First she'll explore the mansion and hopefully figure her way around the huge place and find a place to get her prescription filled.

As she steps towards the heavy oak door, it swings open by itself right before a male dressed in, what Alice can best describe as a butler's suit, comes into view. He gives a gentleman like bow and keeps his gaze downcast.

"Welcome home, Lady Alice." The elder looking male says in a formal voice. His image feels familiar to Alice the longer she looks at him.

"May I ask your name?" Alice requests of the older gentleman, surprised that she remembers such manners.

"My name, Lady Alice, is Hector." The elderly man answers. At the name something clicks inside Alice's mind. She squints her eyes slightly at the man and then remembers his face from her childhood.

"You were my grandmother's favorite butler, weren't you?"

The man, Hector, gives a slow bow like nod of his head. "Indeed I was. Your grandmother, Lady Emmaline, was a very kind hearted woman, and generous in all ways possible. She requested it of me on her deathbed that I stay and help you adjust to society and the take care of you should you ever be released from that mental institution that your parents locked you away inside of. Lady Emmaline never once thought that you were inside. She rather enjoyed the stories you told her during her visits."

Alice certainly remembers that and the memories bring tears to her eyes. She quickly dashes them away as she gives a nod of her head. "Yes, I do remember that she would always laugh in glee or cry in sorrow depending on the stories I told her, but that's all she thought that they were."

Her grandmother was honestly the only reason that she would return from Wonderland. Her mother gave her the benefit of the doubt, thought that everyone in Wonderland were just her imaginary friends. Her father thought her delusional and demanded that she stop with the stories and grow up. When she was a teen of sixteen, and she still hadn't given up on Wonderland, that's when he demanded that Alice seek help and quickly had her checked into the asylum before she could give a proper rebuttle.

"Please come inside, Lady Alice. Let me show you to your room. Before Lady Emmaline died she had a present prepared for when you were released." Hector says and lead Alice inside. He closes the door before he begins to lead her upstairs to where her room must reside.

"Um… Hector, you don't have to call me Lady Alice. I actually prefer it if you don't call me that."

"Would you mind Miss Alice instead of Lady?" Hector asks.

"Miss Alice is fine, but if you wanted to call me Alice that would be fine as well." Alice answers and makes sure to remember the way they were traveling so that she can refind her room later. Eventually Hector comes to a stop in front of the many doors along the hallway.

"Your room, Miss Alice." Hector states formally as he opens the door for her and gives another one of those formal bows.

"Thank you, Hector."

"My pleasure, Miss Alice. Dinner will be ready at eight o'clock. Until then feel free to explore as your heart desires. When the institution called to inform me of your release they mentioned a prescription that needs to be filled. I will have that taken care of for you so that you don't have to worry about it."

Alice gives a nod before digging into the brown paper bag quickly to produce the slip and hands it over to Hector. "Thank you again, Hector."

The elder man gives a nod of his head. "Please let me know should you need anything else." He says in a reply before giving a bow and walks off.

Alice doesn't bother watching Hector go before stepping into her new room. It's spacious with a four post king sized bed. She walks further into her room and notices something resting on the mattress. Her curiosity peaked, she drops her bags in the nearest chair and closes the distance to her bed.

Resting on the bed is a book with a picture of a girl that looks strangely like Alice herself sitting at a table littered with tea cups and saucers and teapots with a man wearing a top hat, a mouse, a hare, and a widely grinning cat. Writing in elegant script and gold foil _The Many Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. By Alice Grace Liddle._

Alice feels new tears prick at her eyes. Her grandmother knew how much Wonderland means to her and because of that has given her one of the best gifts ever given. She opens the book and starts flipping through it, but stills when she sees a folded piece of paper tucked into the binding. Alice takes it out and unfolds the page to find her grandmother's careful cursive handwriting. Handwriting that Alice had thought that she would never see again.

_**My dear sweet Alice,**_

_**I know that your father was wrong to lock you away inside that awful place, but I also know that place would never be able to crush your love for the place you fondly call Wonderland. Every single one of your stories brought light into my heart and the love for Wonderland that you have always burned bright. I also know that the only reason that you returned from Wonderland was the love you had for me.**_

_** Knowing that I wrote down all of your stories and had them bound. I even had blank pages added so that you can continue you adventures with the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, The White Rabbit, the Knave of Hearts, Caterpillar, and of course the Queen of Hearts. Now that I'm gone and you're free from that dreadful asylum, don't feel guilty about returning to Wonderland.**_

_**I know that's where your heart is, not here in this world. I know that it's in Wonderland with your playful Hatter, and with all the friends that you've made there. All that I've ever hoped for and continue to hope for is nothing but your happiness.**_

_**And from the way that you've spoken about Wonderland and the people that reside there, that your true happiness isn't here but in Wonderland. My home will always be yours until the end of your days for you to use as you see fit should you ever desire to return from Wonderland for a visit. My only regrets in my life is that my son thought you inside and locked you away, that there had been nothing I could do to stop it, and that I never got to meet your delightful Hatter in person.**_

_**Will all my love,**_

_**Your grandmother**_

_**Emmaline Marie Liddle**_

Alice feels tears prick at her eyes more strongly before slipping free down her pale cheeks. She pulls the letter close to her chest in a weak attempt to hug her grandmother, and lets the tears fall.

"I love you too, Grandma. You will forever be in my heart." Alice whispers to herself. She tenderly refolds the letter and returns it to her book. Hatter will love to see it once she returns to Wonderland. "I promise the next time I return from Wonderland that I'll bring Hatter with me so that he can meet you."

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><p><strong>Well that was chapter one. I should hopefully have chapter two up soon! Please Review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! Chapter Two is up. I haven't written as far as I would have liked, because my plan when I started writing this was to get a chapter written a day and tried getting chapters typed while my daughter was napping, but the writing kept me from spending proper time with my daughter. I'm at the start of Chapter Nine written, so it shouldn't be a problem to keep this story going. The story keeps buzzing through my head, my main issue is that the story in my head is like several chapters a head of where I am ahead of the page. But enough with the rambling. Onto chapter Two.**

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><p><strong>Finding Wonderland<strong>

**Chapter Two**

He sits in a large plush chair, a tea cup in one hand, raised as if to take a sip, the other hand holding the sauce for his cup, his top hat askew as his eyes stare off into nothingness. Seeming to be at a standstill, as if he's waiting for someone's return. Further down the elongated table sits two more occupants, a shaggy sand colored haired male with matching hare ears rising from his skull, on ear sticking straight up while the other flopped over, dressed in what probably once was a fancy dress suit is now dirty and disheveled. His hands idly playing with a spoon and the cups around him. Across the table from his sits a very petite woman with large round ears sticking out form her magenta toned hair, a string like tail dancing around her small slender frame as she giggles at nonsense dancing in her head.

"Hatter." The small woman calls in a mousy voice around a giggle to the man in the top hat. "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat."

"How I wonder where you're at." The man with the hare ears proclaims and tosses a cup when his hand gives a violent twitch. "Uh… whoops." The man says apologetically. He and the woman turn their attention to the man they call Hatter and wait for him to sing _Like a tea tray in the sky_, so the three of them can repeatedly sing _twinkle_ in merriment.

"Hatter, are you alright?" The woman asks hesitantly. He's been in the daze since the day that Alice disappeared.

"Are you still worried about, Alice?" the man with the ears questions.

"Alice? Is she back, Marchie?" Hatter asks in return and turns his gaze towards hare ears.

"No, Hatter, Alice hasn't returned." The woman answers.

"Dormouse, there is no way for Alice to return." A new masculine voice says. The woman's right ear twitches before she turns to look at a tall male with cat ears, eyes, and tail.

"No one ask you, Ches." The woman snarls in response.

"Cheshire, why cannot Alice return?" Hatter asks as light slowly returns to his eyes and turns his gaze to the new male that joined their tea party.

"After a few years of Alice not returning to Wonderland, White Rabbit closed his rabbit hole. He figures that Alice has died, and will not be returning, and didn't want someone else to stumble upon Wonderland and become our new Alice."

"There will never be a new Alice!" Hatter exclaims slamming his tea cup down onto the table in front of him. The poor cup splinters and cracks before finally breaking apart, leaving only the small handle in Hatter's grasp.

"Of course there will be no new Alice. There will not be the old Alice with the rabbit hole closed in."

"I'm going to skin that rabbit!" Hatter hollers, rising to his feet in one smooth move. "Alice is still alive! I can feel it! That blasted rabbit has no right to prevent Alice from returning to Wonderland."

His three guests watch him go before Dormouse turns to look at Cheshire and crosses his arms across her small chest and glare further more at the feline.

"You should know better than to provoke him, Ches."

Cheshire shrugs his shoulders. "I thought he should be aware that the rabbit closed his rabbit hole, leaving Alice with no way to return to Wonderland."

"But now he's going to kill the rabbit." The one that Hatter had called Marchie points out.

Cheshire turns his amber gaze towards the man and gives a droll stare. "March Hare, would you rather that the man continue on as an empty shell, waiting like some obedient dog for Alice to return only to one day die as a broken man because Alice couldn't make it back due to the rabbit hole being closed in, or know that Alice is trying to return to him and that the reason she can't return is because of the White Rabbit?"

March Hare looks at the cat and closes one eye as if that would allow him a better look at Cheshire. "I'd rather have Alice here. That's when Hatter is the happiest."

A wide grin appears across Cheshire's lips showing of a crescent moon smile of pearly white teeth ending in points. "That's what I thought you would say." The feline comments. He crosses his arms over his lean chest while his tail swishes playfully and yet at the same time leisurely around and about his narrow hips. Slowly his body begins to evaporate, leaving his smile for last. His eerie smile lingers a moment longer before it too evaporates from sight.

Dormouse sniffs at him hotly and turns her attention to March Hare. "He's just trying to stir up trouble to elevate his boredom."

March Hare gives a nod of his head in agreement. "He misses Alice just as much as we do."

"That doesn't give him an excuse to go out and cause trouble. If Hatter goes off and kills White Rabbit then Alice will never be able to return to Wonderland to play with us ever again."

March Hare nods his head again, but remains silent. He knows better than to rile up Dormouse, especially where Hatter is concerned. She's always loved the Mad Hatter, but knows that he will never return her feelings, not with how much he cares for Alice, so instead Dormouse set herself as Hatter's guardian and decided that she'll protect Hatter and everyone he loves to her dying breath. If only Dormouse would realize that's how March Hare feels about her then maybe she could truly be happy.

**Mad Hatter**

He forces his way past the castle gate, through the guards, and to the audience chamber of the Red Queen, more fondly called the Queen of Hearts. Her own personal knight, called Knave, stands to the right of Queenie's plush red velvet throne. Hatter clenches and clenches his fists at his side while the queen looks down her angular nose at him. Her lips have a red heart painted on them, giving the illusion that her lips are always pursed, as if permanently unhappy with the world.

"Where is the rabbit!?" Hatter demands in a huff. His heart pounding a rapid staccato against his breast bone as his panting breaths saw in and out from between his parted lips.

Queen of Hearts watches Hatter in silence for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "I believe your rabbit is back at that swamp you call a tea party, waiting for your return." She answers finally.

"Not March Hare, you heartless wench!"

"Watch how you speak to my queen, Mad Hatter. Otherwise you might lose your head." Knave states calmly in a dull voice, his hands on the sheath and shaft of his trusted sword should the need to protect his precious queen arise.

Hatter glares back at the knight and thinks of a rancid response, but keeps it to himself, knowing that Knave means business and will do anything to please or keep Queenie safe.

"I am here for that blasted White Rabbit that you keep in your court." Hatter revises vilely. "I desire to skin that beast alive."

"What has he done to warrant such violent urges, Hatter." Queen of Hearts demands in turn.

Hatter turns his gaze form the Knave back to the Queen. "He has closed his rabbit hole that allowed Alice into Wonderland."

"White Rabbit did it under my orders."

"Why would you order such an action!? Alice cannot return to Wonderland if the rabbit hole is closed!"

"What your tongue, Hatter, or lose it along with the rest of your head." Knave warns. Hatter only glares at the knight and feels confusion wash over him when Queenie raises a hand as if to silence the two of them. After a long moment and Hatter and Knave don't speak a word, Queen of Hearts drops her hand back to rest on the arm of her throne.

"It has been right year since Alice has left Wonderland. Since she has started visiting Wonderland she has never gone such a long stretch off time before returning." Queenie begins to explain.

Eight years? Has it really been eight years since Alice has left him last? It's only felt like a few months since her departure.

"After such a long absence I have concluded that Alice must have died in a horrible accident and thus not returning to Wonderland. Not wanting another little girl or boy to come along and stumble upon the rabbit hole and find their way to Wonderland and try to take Alice's place, I ordered the rabbit to close his rabbit hole to prevent such a thing from happening."

"But it prevents Alice from returning to Wonderland!" Hatter hollers balling his hands into such tight fists at his sides that his nails leave half-moons in his palms.

"Alice cannot return if she's dead!"

"She's not dead! I would feel it if Alice died!" Hatter argues.

"Silence!" Queenie demands in such a raised voice that it echoes throughout the audience chamber, causing Hatter to cringe at the echo of the Queen's voice. Wanting to give a biting remark so bad that Hatter has to wonder how he manages to remain silent even while he glares at the curvy woman on the throne. Queen of Hearts might be the ideal vision of what a man wants in a woman, the right height, the right amount of curves all in the right places, but he's not Alice. She is not his sweet, precious, irreplaceable Alice.

"Alice is dead. It can be the only reason that she hasn't returned to Wonderland."

"Something has to have happened to her. Maybe she has amnesia. All I know is that Alice isn't dead." Hatter argues in return.

Queen of Hearts delicately raises an eyebrow at the man in the top hat standing before her. "What makes you think that, Hatter?" She asks in a softer voice. One that doesn't bother Hatter's ears.

Hatter rolls his eyes and heaves a heavy breath. "I already told you, Queenie. I would feel it if Alice were to die?"

This seems to peek the Queen's interests. "Have you and Alice preformed the bonding ceremony?"

Hatter shakes his head. "Alice was too young to perform the ritual. She wants to, but—"

"If you haven't performed the ceremony than how could you possibly know that Alice is Alive?"

"What does it matter to you, Queenie? Only someone with a heart would know what I'm talking about." Hatter argues. "It will save me a lot of time if you tell me where the damn rabbit is."

Queen of Hears raises a slender hand to press a couple of her fingertips delicately against her flawless cheek. The vibrant red of her nail polish a stark contrast to Queenie's ivory toned skin and raises a well-manicured crimson brow at the man standing before her.

"Pray tell, Mad Hatter. What is it that someone with a heart would understand that someone without a heart cannot? How can one simple organ have such a major part in what tells you that Alice is still alive?"

"Though we might not have performed the bonding ceremony, our hearts are still tied together. Through the love that we have for each other. But love is something only someone with a heart can understand." Hatter explains as he glares at the Queen. He doesn't know why he bothered coming to the heartless wench to ask about the blasted White Rabbit's whereabouts. The bitch loves to draw out giving answers, and walking around them until she feels it's the right time to give her answer. Hatter often wonders which she enjoys more; the mind racking stalling or being the reason someone losses their head. Often times, like now, Hatter would have to say it's equal.

Queen of Hearts drops her hand and glances back at Knave with what Hatter can best describe as longing. It causes his dark chocolate brown brows to furrow together with confusion. Could there be something going on between the queen and her knave, but that's impossible since Hatter knows that the queen is heartless.

A quick moment later Queenie turns her attention back to Hatter, that emotionless mask back in place. This is the Queen of Hearts that Hatter remembers most. He barely remembers the times that she had a heart, those times were so long ago that it's more of a dream then memories. Hatter opens his mouth to ask about the Knave.

"Silence. The question you were about to speak is to remain unspoken as well as unanswered." Queen of Hearts interrupt. Hatter closes his mouth and gives a single nod of his head in answer. "Good, Mad Hatter." She teases playfully with a smile pulling at her lips.

Hatter returns to glaring at the woman in the throne. "Will you tell me where I can find rabbit, or do I have to do it myself?"_ And waste twice as much time?_

"What will you do once you find my rabbit servant?" Queenie inquires. "White Rabbit is very efficient at his job, I would hate to have to replace him."

It takes everything in Hatter not to growl his annoyance. "What does it matter to you, Queenie? It's not like you're actually going to tell me where that damn rabbit is anyway." Hatter answers.

"Mad Hatter, but orders of the queen you are to answer any questions she asks of you." Knave of Hearts states, his hands on his sword once again, ready to attack should his queen be disobeyed.

Hatter heaves a sigh and turns around to face the queen, quietly grumbling to himself. "You should rally put him on a shorter leash." He comments and thrusts his thumb in the queen's knight's direction.

"It would seem to me that his leash is the right length. Now tell me, Hatter, what do you plan to do to my rabbit servant once you find his location?" Queen of Hearts answers.

Hatter clenches his hands into tighter fists that his knuckles bleach of color. "I would like to skin the fucker alive, but what I will do is force him to create another rabbit hole so that Alice can find her way back to Wonderland."

"Do you plan to hurt him?"

"Not fatally and not unless I have to. For the most part I'm a none violent person… unless provoked. The one I desire to skin the more than that damn rabbit of yours is that blasted Cheshire Cat." Hatter answers the queen honestly.

"You do know that White Rabbit cannot create a rabbit hole in the same place twice. Therefore the rabbit hole to Alice's world would be in a different location. How do you plan to work around that?"

Hatter represses another growl. This questioning is wasting too much time. The longer it takes for him to find White Rabbit, get said rabbit to create another rabbit hole, and get Alice to return to Wonderland. "I'll employ the blasted Rabbit's help and travel to Alice's world and find her with the rabbit's help and show her where the new hole is." Or have the damn rabbit create a new rabbit hole in Alice's backyard so that they'll never have to worry about a stray child stumbling upon Wonderland.

Hatter knows that the White Rabbit has done recon work for the queen in Alice's world, mostly recon on Alice; to see how her behavior differs form when she's in Wonderland, so the damn rodent should now its way around Alice's world.

Queen of Hearts sits a moment seemingly to think over Hatter's answers. "Since you have no desire to kill my rabbit servant, I shall grant you permission to employ his services for the most likely impossible search for Alice." She answers finally and Hatter feels hope sing in his heart, but he squashes it, knowing that the queen hasn't finished speaking yet. "But before you leave for Alice's world you are to being the rabbit here so I may explain to him what he is to do." She adds quickly.

Hatter feels his mood drop. Of course she would make that condition. He drops his head and takes a moment to collect himself. At least he get to go look for his Alice, and he has Queenie's permission to bring that fucking White Rabbit with him. "One question, Queenie, before I agree to any of this."

"Who said you can question the queen?" Knave demands in a hostel tone of voice. His sword beginning to appear slowly from its sheath. Queen of Hearts raises a hand to calm him.

"It's quite alright, Knave." Queenie answers in a calm voice. Her hand gracefully returns to its resting place on the arm of her throne.

"But, your majesty—"

"The Mad Hatter has more at stake than we do, Knave. After all the fate of his precious Alice hangs in the balance, maybe even her life. Remember, Knave, he claims that Alice is still alive, while the rest of Wonderland that knows of Alice believes her to be dead." The Queen of Hearts interrupts.

Knave of Hearts gives a deep bow as he resheaths his blade. "Yes, your majesty." He speaks softly.

"What is your question, Mad Hatter?" Queenie asks as if the Knave had never spoken.

"Is there a time limit to as of which that White Rabbit of yours and I must work by?" Hatter asks formally, even going as far as to add a bow.

A smile begins to curl the ends of the Queen's lips. "No, playful Hatter, there is no time limit."

Hatter gives a nod of his head. "Now, please tell me the White Rabbit's location."

"I have him in the marshes doing some investigative work for me. You should find him there."

Hatter gives a deeper bow. "Thank you for your aid, Queenie." He says formally before turning around and exits the audience chamber as well as the castle as he starts taking the steps to finding his Alice again.

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><p><strong>Alright, that was chapter two! Hoped you enjoyed spending some time with Hatter. Should have Chapter Three typed and uploaded soon! <strong>**And to think that tomorrow my daughter is turning Thirteen months old! Time sure has flied by! ****See you next time my lovelies! X3 3  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Just got this typed up. I had almost forgotten to type it. It felt kind of ironic that while I was typing this chapter I was watching the movie for the anime RahXephon and they were quoting lines from _Through the Looking Glass. _But on another note. I've been trying to keep these chapters the same length, but it turns out that this chapter is two pages shorter. I'll make up for it later! Promise!**

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><p><strong>Finding Wonderland<strong>

**Chapter Three**

After what feels like several hours of looking for where the rabbit hole should be, Alice moves through the gathering of trees and bushes that feel and look all too familiar. Following them into a small circle of grass and wild flowers. She and White Rabbit had picked it because it's secluded and pretty much no one knows about it. Before Alice had found Wonderland and started her regular visits, this had been her play area whenever she had free time and came to the park to play.

"Please still be here." Alice whispers to herself, otherwise she would have wandered into the park and to her secret place like a creeper for nothing.

Alice walks towards where she remembers the rabbit hole being, only to come to a stop when all she sees is a patch of fresh dirt the size and shape of the rabbit hole she used to go through to get to Wonderland. Her blonde brows furrow and knit together with confusion.

"What the hell?" She asks herself and looks at the crisp grass around her, thinking that maybe she looked at the wrong spot, but remembers distinctly it being right in front of where she's standing currently.

"Wha-What's going on?" Alice asks the air around her softly. Her head begins to shake of its own accord, the long slightly waved strands of her golden blonde hair dancing around her slender shoulders like a whip as tears sting at the back of her green eyes.

"The rabbit hole is right here. I know it is. I've been here dozens of times. I would know where my rabbit hole is, my only way to Hatter. Wouldn't I? Or have I truly gone insane while I was inside that mental hospital?" Alice asks herself. Tears begin to spill over and roll down her fevered cheeks as her knees grow weak before collapsing, causing her to fall to her knees in front of the fresh mound of dirt.

"Wait." She speaks softly and raises a hand to reach out and touch the dirt. Picking up a small lump, Alice rubs it between her fingers.

"This dirt is fresh, maybe a couple of days old." She observes in a whisper; not wanting to draw attention to herself should someone by happenstance be nearby. "It had been put here just days before I was released from the Asylum."

Fresh tears being to fall down her cheeks in thick rivers. She couldn't have just missed her chance of returning to Wonderland, could she? It would be just her luck that right after White Rabbit would close his rabbit hole that he made for her, that Alice would finally have a chance, after eight long years, to return to Wonderland.

"No." Alice says weakly. Her throat stuffed with tears. "No. This can't be happening. I was supposed to return to Wonderland so I can finally be with Hatter and stay with him. Hatter, oh my poor Hatter. He must not be himself with my long absence."

Alice raises her fists to her eyes as tears fall more freely from them, and violent sobs rack and shake her frame. Her bottom lip quivering with the effort to keep herself quite. "No! This isn't fair! Hatter!"

Alice rips her hands away from her eyes and her hands mindlessly dig and claw at the dirt clogging her rabbit hole to Wonderland. "Hatter, please wait for me! I'm coming back to you!" She practically screams as a hole slowly begins to form in the dirt. Alice pushes the dirt away, not thinking about her clothes.

"No! Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Cheshire, Caterpillar, Queenie, Knave, I'm still here! I'm trying to get back to you!" Alice nearly screams as she claws more frantically at the dirt. "Hatter! Hatter, I love you! Please wait for me!"

Her body breaks down as more violent sobs rake through her body. Alice collapses to the grown as tears run free.

What had she been thinking? No one can make a rabbit to or from Wonderland besides White Rabbit, and she remembers him telling her that a rabbit hole can't be made in the same place twice.

Alice rolls onto her back an crosses her arms over her eyes. "Why couldn't you have waited a few more days longer!? Why!?" She almost screams out in pain. "I could already be back in Wonderland if only you had waited a few more days!"

She lies in the dirt, waiting for the sobs to end, feeling like her heart is breaking in two with no way for it to be repaired. Hatter is the only one who can fix her but he's lost to her now. Just like the rest of her friends in Wonderland.

Maybe she should have listened to her father and given up on Wonderlands a long time ago. Maybe then her heart wouldn't feel broken into a million pieces and then it wouldn't have hurt so much. Maybe she should have given Wonderland up before she had grown so attached to Hatter that she had fallen undoubtedly in love with, and him with her, there would be no pain.

"Now is not the time for maybe's, Alice." She scolds herself, but can hear Hatter's sweet baritone voice speak it inside her mind. "The past is the past, and there's nothing you can do to change it. All you can do now is stand tall and move forward."

Another round of sobs find its way through Alice, and it takes everything in her to not curl up into a tight ball and gently rock herself. She hasn't done that since the start of her stay at the Asylum.

"If only it were that easy, Hatter." Alice whispers almost inaudibly to herself, slowly calming down, but feels a sense of emptiness wash over and fill her body. "If only it was that easy to give you up."

Alice forces herself up onto her hands into a reclined seated position. She sits there a moment before lurching a hand forward to grip at her well-worn jeans and pulls herself into the fetal position. Alice pulls her legs as close as possible to her chest and buries her face into her knees.

"Hatter, please." She sobs against her knees. Her tears dampening the denim of her pants. Her blonde hair falls from behind her shoulders and around her knees, acting as a curtain for her face. "Hatter, please please please, don't give up on me." Alice pleads in a painful whisper.

If Hatter has given up on her along with everyone else in Wonderland then she would have lied about the pills working, and stopped talking about Wonderlands to get out of that blasted asylum for nothing. If she's lost Hatter and her life in Wonderland she'd be better off returning to the asylum and staying there for the rest of her days.

**Alice**

It took some time, but Alice managed to collect herself enough to get up onto her feet and leave the park. Not wanting to return to the manor, she wanders around the city, sticking to streets that she knows; before eventually coming upon the local cemetery. Alice looks up at the arch over the entrance gate.

**ST. LOUISE CEMETARY**

The same cemetery that her parents and grandmother had been buried in after their deaths. Alice has no idea what happened to her grandfather Liddle. She never met the man, seen a few pictures of him, but they didn't go past when he father would have been six years old, so Alice just figured that he must have upped and left his family, abandoning his wife and son.

"Wonder what it would have been like to know the man? Maybe I'll ask Hector when I return home." Alice mumbles to herself and steps inside the cemetery.

She slowly weaves her way through the headstone trying to find the right ones. Alice hadn't been allowed to leave the asylum to attend their funerals, her grandmother's had been the hardest one to miss given how close she had been to the elderly woman, and hasn't seen where they had been buried. Alice would have to guess that they were buried close together because they are family. They do share the same last name after all.

Eventually Alice finds the tombstones that she came into the cemetery looking for:

**GEORGE AND MARIAN LIDDLE**

**Born: 19 OCTOBER 1969**

**27 STEPTEMBER 1971**

**Died: 28 AUGUST 2008**

They had died in the fire that had claimed their home during Alice's second year at the asylum. Alice looks over and sees her grandmother's headstone.

**EMMALINE LIDDLE**

**Born: 29 OCTOBER 1923**

**Died: 30 NOVEMBER 2012**

Her grandmother had died of that strange strand of the flu virus, but her immune system had been compromised by the H1N1 or Swine Flu that had gone through a few years before. Emmaline Liddle almost lived to be ninety and would have if she hadn't gotten sick, She'd probably still be here if she hadn't gotten sick.

Feeling fresh tears prick at the back of her eyes, and kneels down before her grandmother's grave. She sweeps at the little bit of leaves and dirt that had brushed up during the summer and fall. Alice takes a moment to calm herself.

"I found you, Grandma." She begins. "I finally got released from the asylum. Had to lie about some pills working and had to stop talking about Wonderland in order to achieve that release."

Alice feels a few tears fall as the next words she's to speak enter her thoughts. "Thank you for the book, Grandma, and for your blessing to live in Wonderland with Hatter and all my friends there." She raises a hand to wipe at the tears with the back of her palm. "But it would seem that there is no way for me to return to Wonderland.

"Earlier I went to the park, to my secret spot, only to find that the rabbit hole that White Rabbit had created for me had been filled in, and by the freshness of the dirt I would have to say recently." Alice breaks down into a fresh wave of sobs, feeling the loss of Wonderland as well as the loss of her grandmother all over again. Alice grabs the bottom hem of her tank top and raises it to rub harshly at her tears.

"If only I had been released from the asylum a few days sooner I could be in Wonderland right now. Having a tea party with Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, and maybe even Cheshire Cat, or playing tricks on Queen of Hearts and her Knave with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, only to be scolded at the end by White Rabbit or I could be having a nice conversation with Caterpillar as he smokes his hookah.

"Oh, Grandma, I wish you were still alive so I could show you Wonderland for real and not just tell you stories. I wish I could give you one last hug and been able to have seen my release from the asylum."

Alice bites down on her lower lips to keep more sobs at bay.

"Life isn't fair, Grandma. I've lost you and now I've lost Hatter. Am I bound to mourn the loss of the people that I love the most? Am I meant to always and forever be alone?" Alice asks the tombstone, thankful that there's no one else in the cemetery. She would hate to be locked up for rambling endlessly to a headstone about everything and yet nothing at the same time.

"God, look at me. One day free of the asylum, and I'm an emotional nut-bag." She comments softly wiping away the tears that she's shed. "I'm not going to give up on Hatter or my friends in Wonderland, not like they've seem to have given up on me. I can only hope that Hatter hasn't given up on me. How can you give up on someone that you truly love?"

Alice knows that her parents hadn't truly loved her. If they had they wouldn't have locked her away in the asylum claiming that she's totally disillusioned. They never once visited her while they had still been alive. Her grandmother loved her enough to visit Alice while she was locked way, and even believed her when she said that Wonderland is a real place.

"I wish that Hatter could meet you, Grandma. He would have loved you immediately. He knows a good and kind soul when he sees one, but at least now that I know where your grave is, should I ever be reunited with Hatter and get the chance to bring him to this world, I will bring him here to meet you." Alice says softly. She brushes a hand tenderly over the headstone of her grandmother's grave. Her fingers fondly trace the letters and numbers etched into the stone.

"God, I miss you so much, Grandma. There's so many things I wanted to share with you, but now I can't. Like your first great grandbaby. I'll make sure that any babies I have will know about their tender, sweet, kind-hearted great grandmother." Alice tells the headstone and tries to keep the water works under control.

"Actually I'm not sure if I'll have any babies, not if I can't return to Wonderland. I don't think I'll have babies. Hatter's the only one that I want to be with. I know that the two of us have is rare and special, something that can't be broken or replaced. I have to have faith in Hatter if I'm to have any hope of returning to his side and truly being happy." Alice speaks wistfully as a small smile touches her lips as her mind fills with images of her delightful and playful Hatter.

"What I miss most about being with Hatter is the night we would spend together, Grandma. When it would get cold out we would light a fire and snuggle up together under a blanket, and gaze up at the stars. I've found some of our star constellations in their sky and told Hatter about them. After finding out about my love for the stars he went and bought me a star chart that has every one of their constellations on it.

"Some night we'd stay up into the wee hours of morning just simply talking to each other about everything that came into our heads until we'd eventually fall asleep in each other's arms.

"The one night I'll never forget is the night that I gave my virginity to Hatter. He has been so sweet and gentle that I hadn't felt any pain at all." Alice confesses and feels a blush enter her cheeks. "That's actually the last night that I spent with Hatter before I got locked away in the asylum." She remembers sadly.

Will that continue to be the last memory she ever has of Wonderland? Or will she get many more nights in Hatter's arms like a lover? Does Hatter even desire to have children? It's something they never got around to talking about. If she gets returned to Hatter's arms she'll have to find time to talk to him about the matter. Alice doesn't want to end up pregnant with Hatter's baby just to be pushed away by the very man she loves the most in all of existence.

Once Alice had found out about the bonding ceremony she had immediately wanted perform it with Hatter, but he had pressed that they should wait until she was old enough to be able to live away from her parents legally in her world, and of course not without her beloved grandmother's blessing. Both of which Alice has achieved.

Alice pulls out the cellphone that Hector had gotten her before dinner last night, a device that she hasn't completely figured out yet. Who knew technology would change so much in eight years? She presses the button that she knows that lights up the touch screen of her phone and sees the time.

"I need to go home. I'm sure Hector is wondering where I am. He's a very good man, Grandma. Thank you for asking him to look after me." Alice says calmly and climbs to her feet.

"I'll see you later, Grandma. I love you." She speaks as she dusts off her butt of any leaves and dirt before turning towards the exit and starts heading back towards the manor that she calls home.

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><p><strong>That was Chapter Three, I know it was a little weeping and all that, but that's the way it played out in my head. See you next chapter my lovelies!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Whoo! Chapter four is finished! And for anyone that might be Wondering? Hatter and Alice are going to be reunited soon. I promise. I just realized today is February first. Tomorrow I turn 21, yes... for those of you that are aware that I have a daughter... I'm young mom, but that doesn't stop me from loving my little girl with all my heart, even when she's being naughty. LOL Alright onto the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Finding Wonderland<strong>

**Chapter Four**

"Of course that damn rabbit has to be all the way into the marches! I fucking hate the marshes!" Mad Hatter growls loudly to himself as he trudges through the swampy wet marshes. Miss Queenie of Hearts called his Tea Party Garden a swamp, the bitch has obviously never been to the marshes. He basically has to lift his knee all the way to his chest in order to take a step. One. Single. Fucking. Step!

"I fucking hate you, you heartless wench!" Hatter roars to the wet, hot, sticky air around him, and he only likes to be around that kind of air if it's a good cup of tea, or Alice. Especially Alice cause that's when she gets the most cuddly, and he loves to snuggle with his Alice.

"Note to self: kill Queenie once that damn White Rabbit and I return to the castle… after finding that damn rabbit in these fucking marshes." He grumbles angrily and forces himself forward, or else get eaten alive by the very marshes he's marching through to find his only key to finding Alice once again.

Hatter listens to the fluttering of dragonfly wings, literal insect sized dragons with fly wings. Not wanting to be torched by the fire that the dragonflies breath, he uses magick to set a barrier around him. "Rabbit! Where the hell are you!? You rank bastard!" Hatter calls out into the marshes.

As much as he would love to confess that he has an axe to grind with that damned rodent, he keeps it to himself.

What the hell could the Queen need information from here? Especially what kind of information. The only creatures that dwell in the marshes are the dragonflies, dwarf sized trolls, rocking-horseflies, and maybe even those dumb Tweedle Twins that Alice enjoys so much to play with. The trolls are a primitive race that honestly have no information that Queenie would have an interest in. The only reason that the heartless queen would send White Rabbit is to torture him.

"Son of a bitch!" That heartless wench is truly heartless if she sent White Rabbit here just to torture him. Hatter getting him out of here and looking for Alice would be a blessing. A really huge fucking blessing.

"Rabbit! Tell me where you are!" He basically screams into the marshes and tries to think through the magick that he knows to see if there's a locator spell he can cast, but the one that he does know requires having an object that belongs to the person, or creature, that you're trying to locate, and since Hatter hates that damn rabbit with as much volume that a feline hates a dog, he doesn't have anything that belongs to the White Rabbit.

"I can't find you unless you tell me where you are, Rabbit!" Hatter cries out into the air. "RABBIT!"

"Hatter!?" He hears a faint voice call. "Hatter!? Is that you!?"

"Yes, you damn rabbit, it's me! Who else would be dumb enough to come rescue your rank ass from the marshes!?" Hatter answers and starts heading in the direction that he heard the voice from, and the fucker better not say Alice, otherwise Hatter might have to skin himself an albino rabbit-shaped rodent and make it into a nice top hat.

"Alice would have." White Rabbit answers, his voice slowly growing louder. Hatter growls in anger and begins to see red. So many snide remarks fly through his head, but Hatter refuses to say them. If he were to say them he'd probably lose his only chance at getting Alice back.

"If only he were to be so lucky." Hatter mutters to himself and closes the distance to the damn rabbit. He finds White Rabbit wrapped up in ivy and it would seem unable to move. Hatter glares at the man with lively rabbit ears, much to be desired on Marchie's end.

"Please get me down, Hatter. My limbs are beginning to grow stiff." White Rabbit pleads. That's when Hatter notices the man's normally pristine white and accented with red suit disheveled and dirty, much like how March Hare dresses on a regular basis, and that his rimless glasses are resting too far down on the slope of nose for them to actually be of any use.

Hatter makes sure he's standing on firm ground before crossing his arms over his thick chest. "Why should I? You're sealed up the rabbit hole to Alice's world, preventing her from getting through to Wonderland."

The rabbit makes an action that looks like he's trying to wave his hands or give an 'I don't know' gesture. "Queen of Hearts ordered me to do it. I work for her and thus I have to listen to her or risk losing my head." White Rabbit answers. "It's been eight years since Alice has last visited Wonderland. Something has to have happened to her, most likely death."

"Alice isn't dead, you damn rabbit." Hatter argues.

"How can you be so sure of that, Hatter? How can you be so sure that Alice is alive?"

Hatter unfolds his arms and places an open palm over his heart while the other clenches into a tight fist at his side. "I feel it in my heart, you rodent. You have a heart unlike your queen. I would think that you know what love means and know what it means to truly love someone." He comments, actually trying to keep the hostility from his voice.

"I bet you didn't even know eight years have passed until someone said someone said something to you." White Rabbit states matter-of-factly, not needing to ask if it's true.

Fighting back the urge to growl, Hatter clenches both of his hands into tight fists at his sides. He didn't leave the heartless Queenie and her Knave to look for the blasted rabbit and find him just to get the same fucking treatment.

"Are you sure you want to speak like that t the only person who can save your trapped furry ass." Not that Hatter would know what White Rabbit's ass looks like, and he has no desire to know. Hatter cocks an eyebrow at the man and crosses his arms across his chest again. At least in this situation he has the upper hand.

White Rabbit droops head, and heaves a sigh. "I just had to do what the queen told me. Wonderland can't chance another child finding their way here. With such a long period of time of no visit from Alice we had to do something in order to protect Wonderland." He answers calmly.

"But what if something was stalling Alice's return? I know that the only reason that Alice wouldn't have returned by now is because something is keeping her. Why didn't anyone investigate this before closing the rabbit hole?" Hatter demands and rakes his fingers through his hair along the sides of his head, not wanting to disturb his top hat.

"The queen didn't order an investigation. She just assumed that if Alice is gone for eight years then she must be dead." The rabbit-man explains.

Hatter drops his hands and gives a shake of his head. "What is it with that heartless queenie and immediately jumps to death with long absences? For all we know Alice is being delayed because her parents aren't letting her out of their sight."

"Then talk to the queen about opening such an investigation." White Rabbit inquires and tries to move his head so that his glasses will move further up his nose. To no avail.

Hatter cocks another eyebrow at the entrapped man and crosses his arms over his chest once again. "Riddle me this, Rabbit. How would I know where to search for you in the marshes, especially since the damn Cheshire Cat doesn't travel this way because of the dragonflies?"

"The Queen of Hearts." White Rabbit answers. Hatter cocks his eyebrow further when the rodent man doesn't elaborate.

He rolls his eyes. "And you fuckers call me stupid. You already gave yourself the answer and you don't even know it."

White Rabbit looks at Hatter the best he can, without the aid of his glasses, for a moment before he tips his head back with a look that says: _Why didn't I think of that sooner?_

"You've already talked to the queen about Alice." He answers finally.

Hatter gives a nod of his head. "You and I are to go to Alice's world and look for her. No time limit was given to find her by."

"Why the both of us?"

"Cause I'm determined to prove that Alice is still alive, and you're the only individual in Wonderland that knows their way around Alice's world. And who knows, maybe your nose will come in handy in trying to find her." Hatter answers animatedly.

"You really miss Alice." The rabbit man states without question.

Hatter narrows his eyes at the other man. White Rabbit is really asking for a skinning. "Before we leave I'm supposed to bring you to the queen so she can tell you the same shit that I already told you than who knows what and then we can leave and go look for Alice." Hatter says in an attempt to change the subject.

"Good idea. Since for all I know you plan to skin me and turn me into a new top hat."

"Damn, Rabbit, you know me well." Hatter says on a laugh. The last time he had laughed had been in Alice's arms. He thinks of the right spell to free White Rabbit without singing the damn rabbit's fur. Hatter gives a twirl of his hand and the ivy burns away from the albino rodent, without burning the fucking rabbit.

White Rabbit lands in one smooth move on the ground beneath him. Slowly he straightens to his full height. He brushes his suit off of dirt as best he can and straightens it, ending with settling his glasses where they're supposed to rest on the arch of his nose. "Before we leave to Alice's world, I'm going to have to change my clothes. These ones are utterly filthy." He comments and tries to remove more dirt from his suit.

Hatter rolls his eyes at the man-rabbit. "Yeah, well, I need to pack clothes for our trip so you'll have plenty of tie to change your stinking suit." He comments with another roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. "OCD freak." He says under his breath as he turns around and begins his trudge back through the marshes. Not bothering to see if White Rabbit is following after him, but does give the damn rabbit a barrier from the dragonflies.

**Mad Hatter**

Queen of Hearts looks up when she hears the doors to her audience chamber open. The doors open wide enough to reveal Hatter strolling in with his hands stuffed into his pockets, her White Rabbit following not far behind. She feels a small smile touch her painted lips, but she quickly schools the smile away. The only one allowed to see her smile is her Knave.

"You know, Queenie. If you really want to torture your rabbit just send him to my Tea Party Garden, not to the marshes where all he'll find is dwarf trolls, dragonflies, and horseflies, and maybe even the dumb Tweedle twins. I'm not sure where they live. Only Alice knows that." Hatter comments when he strolls far enough into the room.

Queen of Hearts keeps her expression schooled as blank. Of course Hatter would realize that she would have sent White to the marshes as punishment. Punishment for not having closed the rabbit hole to Alice's world sooner. That damn girl never waited longer than a few months before returning to Wonderland to see her precious Mad Hatter.

"I'll have to remember that for the future." She states calmly in answer.

White Rabbit grips the round edges of his glasses before removing them and trying to clean them on a handkerchief that he stores in the inside breast pocket of his suit jacket, only the lenses come out dirtier instead of cleaner. Hatter reaches into his jacket and hands White a clean piece of cloth.

"Thank you." White Rabbit says softly. He returns his handkerchief to his pocket and takes the one that Hatter has offered. White runs the cloth over the lens and sighs with relief when they come away clean. Once done he holds it out to return it to Hatter as he returns his glasses to their rightful place.

The top hat wearing man gives a shake of his head. "Keep it. I'll just make another. It's been magically imprinted to always clean and to always stay clean." He says with a shrug of his shoulders.

White Rabbit gives another nod of his head, and tucks the cloth away someplace that he'll remember it when he changes into a new suit. "Thank you again."

Hatter only gives a nod in response.

Queen of Hearts arches an eyebrow at the interaction. "Have you two become friends all of a sudden?"

"No." White Rabbit says the same time Hatter says. "Oh hell no."

Queen of Hearts gives a nod of her head. "At lease it seem you two can civil to each other. Especially since you two will be spending an indefinite amount of time together to search for Alice."

"Yes, your majesty." White Rabbit says in a respectful tone and gives a deep gentleman like bow.

"Yes, Queenie." Hatter answers totally missing the respectful tone of voice and bow.

"You will speak with respect when you speak with the Queen of Hearts." Queenie's Knave of Hearts says in a threatening voice, his hands moving to his sword and the sheath that it rests inside of.

Hatter raises a hand in the Knave's direction before pressing a palm against his belly. He gives a very shallow, half-hearted bow. "My deepest apologies. I mean no offense." He says sarcastically after straightening back up.

"You don't mean a word of it." The Knave comments.

Hatter gives a laugh. "You're right. I don't. I don't see a reason to show respect to a heartless woman that calls herself the Queen of Hearts. Especially a woman that can't think beyond death. She didn't even order an investigation on what was delaying Alice's return to Wonderland, just assumed that Alice has died and demanded the rabbit hole to be closed."

"You are dismissed." Queen of Hearts states in a flat voice.

White Rabbit nods his head and gives another deep bow before grabbing Hatter's sleeve and hauls the man out of the audience chamber. Once outside and down the hall, White Rabbit turns towards Hatter, grabs the neck of Hatter's shirt, and thrusts the slightly taller man against the stone wall.

"You need to keep your composure if you wish to keep your head and reunite with Alice." White speaks through tightly clenched teeth. His hands fisting in Hatter's shirt. The other man looks at him with empty amber hazel eyes. The look almost causes White Rabbit to still.

"If we can't find Alice I'd much rather lose my head then spend the rest of my days without her." Hatter answers in a serious tone. He raises his hands to Rabbit's. "Now release me." He adds and twists the other man's wrists violently, forcing his release.

Hatter puts White Rabbit at arms-length away before giving release of the other man's wrists. He stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets as White massages his sore wrists.

"You're insane."

Hatter gives a wide smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "They call me Mad Hatter for a reason." He answers and exits the castle without looking back. White Rabbit simply watches him go, still massaging his wrists.

**Mad Hatter**

"Do you really have to go, Hatter?" Dormouse asks as she watches Mad Hatter throw clothes, not bothering to distinguish between clean and dirty, into an almost Mary Poppins looking bag. Her tiny hands clasped together and pressed against her small chest.

"Yes, Dormouse, I have to. It's the only way I can guarantee that Alice is still alive." Hatter answers without looking over at his friend.

"What if Ches tries to eat me?"

This causes Hatter to stop and look at her. He walks over to Dormouse and wraps his arms around her petite and slender body.

"Marchie will be here to protect you from that damn feline."

Dormouse wraps her arms around Hatter's thick neck. "Okay… I love you, Hatter. Bring Alice back to Wonderland."

"I promise." Hatter answers softly before releasing the tiny woman. He grabs the bag containing his clothes and steps out of his home and comes to a stop in front of March Hare.

"Protect Dormouse from the damn feline and the Tea Party Garden from the heartless queenie."

March Hare gives a nod of his head and salutes the man while his nose twitches mindlessly. A small smile touches Hatter's lips before heading to where White Rabbit normally makes his rabbit holes, to find the man-rabbit in a fresh pristine suit.

"You ready to possibly get your Alice back?" White Rabbit asks.

Hatter gives a nod of his head. "As ready as I'll ever be."

White Rabbit gives a nod of his head. He chants a few words and taps his foot against the ground. Quickly a hold big enough for them to fit through appears in the ground where White's foot had been. Without waiting a moment longer, White Rabbit jumps into the hole. Hatter quickly follows after him. Heading hopefully towards his Alice.

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><p><strong>Did everyone enjoy more time with Hatter? I know I did. I kind of always think it's funny how much he hates everyone especially White Rabbit. I don't know if that's going to change. They haven't told me that yet. Okay. See you next chapter my lovelies.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, for those that remember when I said that Chapter three was two pages short. I made this chapter two pages longer to pick up the slack. Alice and Hatter are close to reuniting! Enjoy Chapter Five.**

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><p><strong>Finding Wonderland<strong>

**Chapter Five**

Alice steps out onto the back patio of her grandmother's manor and looks out at the well-maintained garden. It's nothing elaborate like Queen of Hearts' maze garden, but it is beautiful. The garden's filled with a large assortment of flowers, domestic and exotic. Her gaze lands on the beautiful wicker rocking chair that her mother or grandmother would sit in to watch her play in the garden, before and after she started visiting Wonderland.

Her grandmother would gently hum to herself as she rocked in the chair and knit a sweater for Alice to wear or a blanket for Alice to drape over her bed at night. A tender smile would always be on her age thinned lips. Her mother would always sit in the chair and keep a strong eye on Alice. Especially after Alice started visiting Wonderland. Her mother would look like she's forcing herself to remain seated in the chair. Most likely worried that if she took her eyes off of Alice for a moment that Alice would disappear off to Wonderland once again.

"Good morning, Miss Alice." Hector says from somewhere within the garden. His butler suit covered in a thick fabric, floral printed apron. His matching fabric gloved hands holding a small set of gardening shears. He's most likely tending to the garden. Why else would he be dressed like that?

A small smile touches Alice's lips.

"Good morning, Hector. Enjoying the garden this fine morning?" Alice answers.

"Indeed, Miss Alice. Tending to the garden in the morning is something I always do. Your grandmother always preferred a well-cared for garden. I took over for her when she got sick with that strange strand of swine flu, and have been doing it ever since." Hector replies. "What brings you out to the garden this morning, Miss Alice?"

"Just wanted to visit some old memoires. Whenever I was here and wanted to play, most of the time grandma would sit in this chair gently rocking and humming to herself as she knitted something for me. She was always calm, not worried that if she took her eyes off me for a minute that I would disappear on her. My mother was the exact opposite. She refused to let me out of her sights fearing I would disappear."

"Your grandmother was a very understanding woman. She knew that if you left that you would return when you were ready, knowing that the friends that your parents thought were imaginary were important to you. She continues to believe that to the day she died." Hector explains.

"That's one thing I love about grandma. She never thought me odd or insane. She let me be myself or whoever I wanted to be. Never forced me to conform to societies rules and standards. Unlike my parents."

Hector gives a nod of his head. "I remember your parents fighting over what to do with you if you didn't start behaving and following the rules. If your grandmother was around she would just tell them that you were doing what felt right and that some rules were made to be broken." The elder man confesses to Alice. "Lady Emmaline was always on your side. She was a truly special woman."

Alice nods her head in agreement. "That she was." She says softly to herself. Her hand idly plays with the back of the wicker rocking chair.

"What are your plans for today, Miss Alice?"

"I think I'll go explore the town. A lot has changed in the eight years I've been away." Alice answers and forces her hand away from the wicker back and the memories that the chair invokes.

Hector gives a nod of his head. "Yes, at lot has chance since you have been inside the asylum." He looks up at her. "Have you gone looking for your grandmother's grave?"

Alice takes her turn to nod. "I found the cemetery that her and my parents were buried in by following familiar streets that I knew from Municipal Park. Then searched the cemetery for the graves. I moved slowly so I wouldn't miss them."

"I gather you found them."

Alice nods again. "I talked with grandmother for a while. Told her how much I missed her and all the things I would have loved to do with her had she still been alive." She answers.

Hector nods and bows his head out of respect. "I'm sure she was happy to hear from you, Miss Alice. She spoke of nothing but good things about you. Her lover for you was a glow to her skin. She wore it proudly even while it shamed your parents." He responds.

Alice feels tears prick at the back of her eyes, but she forces them back. "Thank you, Hector. I really needed to hear that."

The old man gives a shallow bow and offers Alice a smile. "You're welcome, Miss Alice. What time can I expect your return?"

"Probably sometime this evening. I'll buy something from somewhere when I get hungry." Alice answers.

Hector turns towards her and gives a more formal bow. "Then I shall see you his evening, Miss Alice."

"See you later, Hector" Alice replies and gives a wave before turning around grabbing her wallet, that has a up-to-date paper ID for her and some cash, and stuffs it in her back pocket. She checks her front pockets for her phone and house keys before feeling ready to head outside to the manor. She plans to explore the city after she locates where her parents' home had been and see what stands there now.

Alice walks down the long driveway in order to join the rest of the populace. She seamlessly joins in with the crowds and pulls her cellphone. Last night she had played around on her phone trying to figure out the GPS app on it. It had taken some time, but Alice had figured it out and that it could lead her to her parents' home. Their home had never felt like hers, no, the only place that had felt like a home to Alice besides Wonderland was her grandmother's manor.

Alice finds her way to the GPS app and types in her parents' old address into the correct slot. She follows the directions on the screen, careful to make sure that she doesn't step onto the street, or bump into anyone while also taking time to take in the scenery.

So many of the places and buildings look so different from eight years ago, from before she was locked way inside the asylum. The buildings have gotten more sleek and shinning quality to them, but also an impersonal quality as well. As if people aren't meant to interact with each other anymore.

Quicker than she had thought possible, Alice finds her way towards her parents' home and standing in front of it. What had once been a Victorian Era three story with an attic, the attic had been her room, has been upgraded to a two story Colonial, without an attic. Though by the looks of it it's more of a downgrade than an upgrade. Victorian is always the way to go if you ask Alice. She's always loved the arches and slops of Victorian architecture compared to the "new age" straight lined, straight edged architecture of the Colonial era.

"Well now I know what happened to my home, or should I say, mom and dad's home. Now let's go explore the rest of the city and see what's differences I can find to now compared to my memory." Alice says. She turns sharply on her heel before heading in a random direction. If she gets lost she can just put her grandmother's address into her phone and it'll lead her back home.

Alice walks around the city. Mentally taking account of all the differences that she fins among the buildings, the vibrant colored paint, and the people all around her. Everyone is either typing on the screens of their phones, looking at information brought up on their mobile devices or talking on them to someone an unknown distance away.

"Since when did the world become so impersonal?" Alice asks herself softly so that no one will over hear her. She honestly doesn't care what anyone ever thinks of her, but she doesn't want to chance being returned to the asylum, not now that she's free of that damn place. Alice is twenty-four almost twenty-five years old, she's allowed to swear. Now that she thinks about it, she's even allowed to drink, not that she has a desire to, just a realization. It's not like she can honestly have alcohol if she continues taking those pills they gave her to cure the schizophrenia that she doesn't have.

Alice shrugs those thoughts off before they can bring her down. She really doesn't need to take those stupid pills. She just played along so that she could get the hell out of that damn asylum. Alice raises a hand to run the long slender fingers through the thick, slightly wavy, mid-waist length, sunny gold blonde hair, and presses forward to continue her adventure.

**Mad Hatter**

A large hole appears in the dirt of a small enclosure of grass surrounded by trees. White Rabbit jumps out of it and is quickly followed by Mad Hatter. White Rabbit taps his foot against the ground and the rabbit hole closes behind him. Hatter looks around at his surroundings.

"Where are we?" Hatter asks still looking around.

"Municipal Park. It's where Alice liked to play as a child before she spotted me and followed me to Wonderland." White Rabbit answers and points at another patch of dirt. "That's where her rabbit hole was. Alice was the only one to ever play here in this little alcove, it's the only reason I put it here and left it open. Especially for so long."

Hatter gives a nod of his head and remembers the first time that he met his Alice. She had been wearing a blue dress, black shoes, and white tights. She had a black headband in her hair. He watches as White Rabbit's nose twitches and turns his head as if he's looking for something.

"Alice is alive. Her scent is fresh. She's been here recently. No later than yesterday afternoon." White Rabbit says with a look of surprise on his pale face. Hatter cocks at an eyebrow at the man-rabbit.

White Rabbit looks over at Hatter. "How did you—" He stops himself not totally sure how to even properly ask the question he's trying to ask. Hatter moves his hands to his narrow hips.

"I told you. I would have felt it if she had died." Hatter comments. Trying to keep the smugness out of his voice.

"But how? Did the two of you perform the bonding ceremony?" White Rabbit asks as he tries to make sense of all of this.

"Alice was too young to perform the ceremony the last time I saw her. All I know is that there's a connection between the two of us that we'd know if the other died." Hatter answers. "I might be mad in the head but I'm not that mad. I'm especially not mad enough to put Alice's life in danger by performing a powerful ceremony that can't be undone once it has been cast."

"That makes sense… I guess." White Rabbit comments. "Or at least I think it does."

Hatter smiles taking it as a compliment. After a moment he raises his hands and claps them together. "Alright, where do we start?" He asks looking around for a moment before turning his attention back to White Rabbit. He really needs to find his Alice and pull her into his arms and never let her go.

"Let's follow the trail and see where it takes up, and hope it leads us to Alice." White Rabbit answers.

"Then start leading the way, rodent. The sooner we find Alice the sooner we can return to Wonderland." Hatter comments and makes a hurrying motion.

White Rabbit crosses his arms over his chest, gives a shake of his head before leaping into the air and does a back flip. A swarm of dip light envelopes him and when he lands he's the size of a small white rabbit, his glasses still resting on his nose. Hatter raises his eye brow at the rodent in place of the man.

"What the hell?"

"We're not in Wonderland, Hatter. This is the only way I can blend in. You'll see what I mean once we start moving. Now pick me up so that I can lead you around and you won't look like some crazy person." White Rabbit explains.

Hatter rolls his eyes and does what the rodent says. "Alright. Now where do we go?" he asks.

"Leave the park. Her scent leaves the park." White Rabbit answers.

Hatter gives a nod of his head and follows the albino rodent's direction. Once they exit the park, Hatter immediately understands what rabbit was talking about. Not a single person here has rabbit ears, or animal ears of any kind. He comes to a stop once they reach a location.

Hatter gives a confused look. "A cemetery? What would Alice be doing at a cemetery?"

White Rabbit gives a shrug of his animal shoulders. "I don't know, but her scent leads inside. Maybe we'll get some answers."

"I hope so." Hatter comments and steps inside the cemetery.

"She moved slowly through here. Even lingered at some points. She must have been looking for something. What's Alice's last name?"

"Liddle. Her last name is Liddle." Hatter answers softly.

"Her scent stops here." White Rabbit comments a few moments later. Hatter looks around and then looks down.

"George and Mariam Liddle. Emmaline Liddle." Hatter read aloud. "Her disbelieving parents and her loving sweet grandmother. Emmaline. Alice told me that Emmaline was the only one to believe her when Alice spoke of Wonderland. I had no idea they died." Hatter whispers.

"By the looks of the dates they died, there was no way for you to know. They died during Alice's eight year absence." White Rabbit points out.

Hatter crouches down in front of Emmaline's headstone. Making sure that the rabbit doesn't slip from his arms. He reaches out a hand to caress his fingertips over a picture of Emmaline Liddle that had been sealed within the stone. "So you're Alice's grandmother. Alice talked about you a lot. By the way she talked about you I could tell that she loved you. She always wanted the two of us to meet, who would have thought that we'd meet like this? Thank you for believing in her. I promise to take care of her from now on." Hatter says softly to the headstone as if it were someone real.

White Rabbit looks up at the other man. "What was that all about?" He asks a moment later when hatter doesn't continue to speak.

Hatter slowly drops his hand. "Just paying my respects to the dead." He answers. "That's the one thing Alice always wanted. She always wanted her grandmother and I to meet. Alice had once told me that she wanted me to meet her parents so that they would finally believe her, but then said that even then they probably wouldn't believe her."

White Rabbit gives a nod of his head. "You believe in her too."

Hatter gives a weak nod of his own. "I also lover her. Her parents obviously hadn't loved her enough. Otherwise they would have believed her with where she'd been."

"Not all parents love their offspring. There are some species where one of the parents have a tendency to eat their young."

"Ew. I didn't need to know that." Hatter comments making a disgusted look. "Okay where do we head to now? It's obvious that Alice isn't here."

"Let's follow the scent and sees where it takes us. I haven't come across completely fresh trail of her scent yet."

"I wish I had something that belonged to Alice. I could just use a tracking spell and find her."

"Can't. Wonderland magick doesn't work here." White Rabbit comments causing Hatter to glare down at him.

"Then how come you're able to use magick? You know change into a rabbit and create rabbit holes? Hatter questions.

"That's a different kind of magick. Something that some people would call shifter magick."

Hatter shakes his, and pushes thoughts of magick to a dark corner of his mind. Finding Alice comes first. He tucks his arm under the albino rodent so he doesn't fall before climbing to his feet. He walks back out of the cemetery and they follow White Rabbit's nose.

"I've picked up a fresh scent. It goes that way." White Rabbit comments and points a paw in the direction that Hatter is to go. Hatter only gives a nod of his head and changes direction. He looks at the people around him and notices that he stands out, not as much as if the rodent in his arms were in his human from, but he does stick out.

"Hopefully we won't be here long. I stand out in my clothes." Hatter murmurs to the animal in his arms.

"Now that we have her trail she shouldn't be too hard to find." White Rabbit whispers back.

Hatter doesn't bother with an answer as he continues to walk the streets at White Rabbit's direction. With how much more advanced this place is, how could Alice want to spend so much of her time in Wonderland? And with how advanced this place seems to be it wouldn't have been far behind as Alice had been growing up. So why Wonderland instead of this place?

"Hatter? Hatter! Stop!" White Rabbit hisses at him causing Hatter to come to an abrupt halt.

"What?"

"Alice's scent stops here." White Rabbit Answers and looks up at the house they're standing in front of. A quick moment later a look of confusion plays over the albino rodent's face. A matching one plays over Hatter's.

"What? What is it, rodent?" Hatter asks feeling confused for an entirely different reason compared to the one on White Rabbit's face.

"This used to be where the house that Alice lived in with her parents sat."

"Okay this one you need to explain to me." Hatter comments.

"A different house used to sit here. It had arches and slopes compared to the house in front of us. Something happened to the one Alice grew up in, like a fire or something. Alice's scent doesn't head towards the house, so obviously she's not living here anymore." The rabbit-man answers.

Hatter looks towards the horizon and sees that the sun is getting ready to start setting. "How sure of that are you?" He asks.

"Cause the buildings here takes years to make. This place can't be more than a couple of years old?"

"Is there any where we can check before we have to call it quits for the day?" Hatter asks.

"Yes, actually. Her grandmother's, but I would have to follow Alice's scent in order to find it. This place is very different from the last time I was in this world." White Rabbit answers.

"Well then hop to it, Rodent." Hatter presses.

"Okay. Start heading back the way we came."

Hatter nods and follows the furry white rodent's instructions. By the time they reach a large, but strange wrought iron gate, night is beginning to fall.

A little ways up the dirt road, Hatter spies a slender figure with enough curves to easily pass off as female. He sees gold blonde hair swaying about her hips. The gentle wave and curl at the end all too familiar.

"Alice!?" Hatter calls with all the strength and air in his lungs.

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><p><strong>Well that was chapter five. hope you enjoyed Hatter and White exploring our world. X3 See you next chapter my lovelies!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning! Warning! And I thought that I should say that I did do some research on Schizophrenia to make the symptoms as accurate as I can. And the warning should be obvious. It's rated M for a reason. said so in the summary. **I'm soooooo Sorry. My head had been in the clouds, and I totally spaced to post this on Saturday. But here it is. Enjoy.****

* * *

><p>Finding Wonderland<p>

Chapter Six

"Alice!?"

Alice stops in her tacks at the familiar deep baritone voice sends shivers down her body. She slowly turns around and spies a man that stands taller than her, but then again it isn't hard to achieve compared to her five foot two height. The clothes, thick soled boots, a long black trench coat, black pants, a top hat on his head, from where she can see in the darkening light, she can see dark chocolate brown hair that layers down to his broad shoulders. The dimming light sparkling in his amber hazel eyes, a wide smile on his lips.

Realization strikes her, but it can't be. "Hatter?"

The man smiles wider, if it's even possible. "I knew it was you, Alice"

"Hatter!" Alice calls. She feels tears fill her eyes as she quickly stuffs her phone into her pocket before funning head long in the direction of her Hatter. He drops whatever he was holding in his arms and prepares himself for when Alice crashes against him.

"Hatter, I've missed you!" Alice sobs as she lands against his familiar body. Her arms lock around Hatter's neck. His arms wrap around Alice's waist and lifts her up so she can lock her legs around him as well. Alice buries her face against the crook of Hatter's neck as tears run feely from her eyes. Hatter holds her close and gently rocks her.

"I've missed you too, Alice. God I missed you." Hatter coos to her softly.

"I thought I was never going to see you again when I went to go through the rabbit hole and found it closed." Alice says in a wobbly voice. After a few moments Alice eases away and presses a trail of kisses across Hatter's cheeks. Feeling the familiar spark that's always been there between the two of them. Hatter happily accepts her kisses and doesn't rush her.

"I'll never give up on you, my sweet Alice." Hatter Whispers and forces himself to remain still when Alice's brushes her lips against his. He eases his lips open when Alice's tongue sweeps against the seam of his lips and licks his tongue against hers.

A soft moan passes through Alice's lips as their kiss steadily deepens. Heat surges around their bodies. Hatter raises a hand to cup the back of Alice's head, his lean fingers threading themselves into the thick strand of his Alice's hair. They try to pull each other closer; trying to become one single being so they don't have to be without each other ever again.

At the sound of what appears to be a throat clearing, Hatter and Alice force themselves to disengage from each other. Hatter sets Alice down, but doesn't let her go. White Rabbit raises onto his hind legs and makes an action of crossing his arms.

"Hey, White. I didn't see you there." Alice comments.

White Rabbit taps a foot at her, and from what she can gather he even cocks an eyebrow at her. "How else do you think that Hatter got here? You know Wonderland magick doesn't work here."

"I'm sorry, White. I was just so happy to see Hatter that I didn't think about how he could have gotten here." Alice answers.

"Another thing. What took you so long to try and return to Wonderland? Queen of Hearts thought, well still thinks, you to be dead."

Alice looks around at the street behind them a moment before looking back at Hatter and White Rabbit. "Let's not talk about this here. Let's go up to my grandmother's. We can talk there and you don't have to be in rabbit form, White." She says finally.

"I like the sound of that." White Rabbit says. Alice smiles; feeling happy for once in her life. She kneels down and scoops White Rabbit into her arms, up into her generous breasts.

Hatter releases a growl. "Who said you could do that, Rodent?" he demands while Alice takes his hand and laces their fingers together.

"I just want to make sure that I don't fall. Alice doesn't have both arms to hold me, so I have to get closer to her." White Rabbit taunts and snuggles further into Alice's breasts.

"Remind me to skin you when we get back to Wonderland." Hatter says harshly to the rodent.

Alice rolls her eyes at the two of them and shakes her head. "It's never boring with you two around." She comments loud enough for the two of them to hear, and lead them up the winding driveway.

As they draw closer to the manor, the front door opens and Hector steps out. He gives a slight, bow. "Welcome home, Miss Alice." He says and straightens. That's when he notices Hatter. "Who is this gentleman caller?"

"Hector, this is Hatter. Hatter is a very good friend of mine. He'll be staying in my room tonight." Alice says.

Hector gives another bow. "Please to meet you, Mister Hatter. Please take good care of, Miss Alice, that is all that I ask of you." He says softly still in his bow. Hatter gives a confused look and glances at Alice who just shrugs her slender shoulders.

"I promise to make her nothing but happy." Hatter answers after a moment. Hector straightens from his bow.

"I shall inform the cooks that Miss Alice has a guest." Hector says.

"Two. Another friend of mine is coming over. I told him to come right in. Hatter and I have known him for years, so you don't have to keep an eye for him, Hector." Alice says calmly. "And would it be possible to have the food brought up to my room?"?" Hector asks.

"That would be nice. Thank you, Hector." Alice answers trying to keep herself from looking down at the fuzzy white rabbit in her arms.

"You're quite welcome, Miss Alice." Hector answers and holds the door open for them. Alice leads Hatter inside while still carrying White Rabbit.

Hatter slows down to look at the elaborate manor that Alice seems to call home. It feels and seems very old world, but in a homey and comfortable way. He can see what draws Alice to his place. He can feel the warmth and love that Emmaline put into her home. At the sensation of a tug on his hand causes Hatter to look at Alice.

"'My room is upstairs." She comments, looking up at him.

"Sorry, love. I was just admiring your lovely home." Hatter answers.

"This isn't my home, Hatter. This is my grandmother's home. She left it to me when she died. Along with the rest of her money." Alice comments and leads Hatter upstairs.

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother." Hater says softly and can't tell if he sees tears enter his precious Alice's granny smith apple green eyes.

"Thanks." Alice says softly. Hatter gives her hand a gentle squeeze as a way of trying to give her comfort with the feeling that if he tried to hug her it wouldn't go over well, with the people that are looking after his Alice, as well as a certain albino rabbit shaped rodent, who's enjoying being nestled into Alice's breasts a little too much.

Quickly they find their way to Alice's room. Alice opens the door and let's hatter step inside in front of her. She closes the door behind her and sets White Rabbit down. White Rabbit leaps into the air and does a front flip. White light envelops his form, a moment later he lands on his feet as a man, in a crouch. He straightens up and adjusts his suit and glasses.

"I forgot how much I hate being in Rabbit form. No one takes you seriously and you have to play dumb." He grumbles.

"Then maybe you should stay as an animal. A form to fit the personality." Hatter comments. White Rabbit glares at him while Alice slaps his arms.

"Hatter!?"

"What? He closed the rabbit hole keeping you from Wonderland. I have every right to be mad. He's lucky that I haven't turned him into a top hat." Hatter argues.

"The queen ordered it." White Rabbit argues on his behalf. "but back to what we were talking about outside what took you so long to return to Wonderland?"

Alice rings her hands together. "I was locked away until a couple of days ago." She confesses softly.

"Locked away where? By whom? Why?" Hatter asks closing the distance between him and Alice.

"By my parents into an asylum because I kept insisting to them that Wonderland was real. The only reason that I managed to get out was because I stopped talking about Wonderland and pretended some pills they gave me actually worked." Alice answers as fresh tears begin to fill her eyes. Hatter pulls her into his arms, he tucks her head under his chin and runs a gentle hand over her back in a soothing motion.

"Pills for what? And what's an asylum?" White Rabbit answers.

"An asylum I where they put mentally ill people. The pills were for schizophrenia." Alice answers.

"What the hell is schizophrenia?" Hatter asks with a confused look.

Alice chuckles softly. Of course people in Wonderland wouldn't know since they're all insane in their own way and somehow co-exist with each other. "Schizophrenia is a mental illness where someone is delusional, hearing voices that no one else hears, seeing things that aren't even there, even scattered thoughts."

"That sounds like Marchie." Hatter comments, causing Alice to laugh again.

"Yeah, I guess it's a lot like March Hare." Alice says around her laugh. She wraps her arms around Hatter and gives him a hug. "Gods, I've missed you guys. All I wanted was to return to Wonderland." She adds after a moment.

"What happened to your parents and grandmother?" White Rabbit asks hesitantly. Alice eases away from Hatter to give a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well we appeared in your secret spot in Municipal Park. We followed your scent and it lead us to the cemetery as well as the graves they're buried in." White Rabbit answers.

"A fire claimed my parents' lives and the house they live in. Sickness claimed my grandmother." Alice confesses and moves to a built in bookshelf and grabs a book. "My grandmother was the only one that came to visit me until she died. I would always tell her stories about Wonderland. Before she died she had this made for me." Alice says and shows White Rabbit and Hatter the book. "She wrote a letter to me; giving me her blessing to reside in Wonderland. And that her biggest regret was not meeting you, Hatter."

Hatter takes the book and starts flipping through it. "These are stories about us and Wonderland." He murmurs.

Alice nods her head. "She knew how much I love Wonderland, so she wrote them all down and typed up and bound. She had blank pages put in so I could continue to write down more of our adventures."

The sound of a knock comes at the door. "Miss Alice, dinner is ready." Hector's voice travels through the heavy oak door. Alice walks over to the door and opens it to show Hector with a push tray with three plates of food with extra just in case someone is still hungry when they're done with their plate.

"Thank you, very much, Hector." Alice says with a smile.

Hector gives a nod of his head and gives a smile in return. "Just leave it out in the hall and I'll collect it later." He says. He gives a bow before turning around and heading back downstairs. Alice grabs the tray and pulls it inside her room.

"And you want to go back to Wonderland because?" Hatter asks with a raised eyebrow at Alice as she closes the door behind her and pulls the tray further into the room. Alice looks at Hatter with a calm look.

"Because this world never felt like home, Hatter. This was where I was born, but I never felt like I belonged. Grandma once told me that places are only as good as the people you know there. The only person that made this place livable was my grandmother. She's the only reason that I would come back from Wonderland. Now she's dead and I have no reason to come back should I go to Wonderland." Alice answers.

Hatter nods his head. "But this place seems to have so much to offer compared to Wonderland."

Alice leaves the tray and closes the distance between her and Hatter. "This place hold material appeal. Everything here can be replaced. The one thing that this place can't offer me is you, Hatter." She says and places her hand on Hatter's shoulders and presses a quick kiss to his mouth. "Don't ever think I'm settling for less just to be with you, Hatter. You give me everything I could possibly ask for." She whispers to him.

Hatter wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close. "Promise." He whispers back and claims her mouth for a gentle kiss.

White Rabbit clears his throat, forcing Hatter and Alice to part and look over at him. "I get that you two love each other, but one there's food that needs to be eaten, and not to mention I'm still in the room. If you could wait until I'm out of the room since Alice was nice enough to have a room prepared for me."

Alice chuckles softly. "Sorry, White. I have a lot of catching up to do from when I was inside the asylum. They're very anti-touch people." She answers and eases away from Hatter. The top hat wearing man glowers at the man-rabbit. He'll gladly help her catch up in the affection, if only the rodent would just let him.

"I don't hold you responsible, Alice." White Rabbit answers. His arms makes the motion of wrapping around Alice's slender waist, but doesn't touch, leaving enough distance between the rabbit's arms and Alice's waist; just enough to piss Hatter off. "It's Hatter I blame. Sometimes I have to wonder how he didn't end up born as an animal. He just can't seem to keep his hands off you."

The albino rodent is just asking to be skinned and turned into a prized top hat. Hatter holds back a growl but moves to the tray. His stomach finally telling him that he needs to eat something.

**Alice & Mad Hatter**

Alice stands close to the railing of the small balcony off her room through a set of French doors. She looks over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps. The thick soled book kind compared to the clicking tap of White Rabbit's dress shoes. The sight of Hatter confirms who she thought it was. He walks up to Alice's back and wraps his arms around her from behind. Alice leans back against him as a gentle smile touches her lips.

"The albino rodent finally said that he was tired and went off to bed with Hector's help. I finally have you all to myself." Hatter says softly and presses a kiss to Alice's hair.

"It only took several hours for you to achieve it." Alice teases and turns around in Hatter's arms to look up at him and loosely wraps her arms around his neck.

"Just as long as you don't start falling for the rabbit."

Alice shakes her head at him. Her fingers tease the ends of her hair. "While I was inside the asylum you want to know what mostly got me through being there, especially at night?" she asks softly.

"I always want to know what's going on in that pretty head of yours." Hatter responds after a moment of thought. His arms tighten around her and pulls her closer.

"The memories I have of the nights we spent together." Alice whispers. She looks down for a moment then looks back up at Hatter from under her lashes. "The memories of those nights are one of my prized possessions. The love I have for you being another."

Hatter moves a hand to the back of Alice's head, fingers weaving into the thick strands and tips her face up before claiming her mouth in a gentle kiss.

A soft moan sounds in Alice's throat as her hands grip Hatter's shoulders. Hatter's hands grip Alice's hips and lifts her up so that she's sitting on the balcony railing, his arm weaves around her waist to make sure she doesn't fall. Their lips part and their tongues sweep against each other. Heat pulses and ebbs between and around them. Hatter's body hardens as Alice's body becomes softer. Her breasts feeling full and heavy with the need to be touched and caressed. After a moment Alice eases away and kisses and licks a trail across Hatter's cheek to his neck. A gruff sound rumbles low in his chest.

Hatter steps away, keeping his hands on Alice's waist. "As much as I would like to take it slow with you, it's been too long." He breathes.

Alice looks up at him and gives a sexy smile. "We have plenty of time to go slow later. I know where you're coming from, Hatter." She answers sounding just as breathless.

Hatter growls softly. The heat in his eyes searing Alice to her very soul. That heat just tells her how much Hatter missed her, and stayed true to her. Hatter eases Alice off of the balcony railing. His hands move to her slender shoulders and caresses down her arms with a feather light touch, sending a fresh wave of heat through Alice's body. Hatter laces his fingers together with Alice's and lead her, walking backwards, back into her room to the bed.

"The days blurred together in a very not good way while you were gone. I had no knowledge of how much time had passed until Cheshire Cat came to the Tea Party Garden and said that the albino rodent had closed his rabbit hole to your world." Hatter confesses softly. He sits down when the back of his legs hit the edge of Alice's mattress.

Alice braces her hands on Hatter's shoulders and lifts herself up onto the bed and straddles Hatter's lap. Her fingers run through what she can touch of Hatter's hair without jostling his signature top hat. She kisses his mouth as she tenderly and carefully removes his hat and sets it aside. Hatter wraps his arms around her and rubs his hands over her back.

His hands moves to the hem of her tank to, gently grips the hem and lifts it up. Alice disengages her mouth from Hatter's and bends her body to make it easier for Hatter to remove her shirt to reveal half cupped cobalt blue bra with lacey trim along the neckline. The soft cups pressing her breasts together and up, as if begging for attention from Hatter's mouth.

"Blue was always your favorite color." Hatter comments. One that causes Alice to smile.

"Do you think it looks nice?" She asks him softly. Hatter gives a nod and dips his head to press a kiss over her heart.

"You always look good in blue. It makes your skin glow." Hatter breathes. His hands move to her bra straps and pulls him down. His mouth lathes onto her pulse and gently sucks. Heat quivers in Alice's belly and travels lower. A soft moan escapes Alice's lips as her hands move back to his hair.

A moment later Alice's hands travels down Hatter's back and grabs the shirt to pull it over his head. He had removed his jacket before diner. Hatter removes his mouth so that it makes it quicker. Their mouths crash together in a heated tangling of tongue and the nipping of teeth. They moan together in unison and Hatter wraps his arms around Alice, and pulls her closer.

Alice grinds her hips against Hatter's and moans as pleasure and heat courses through her blood. Hatter keeps an arm around Alice's waist before using the other and his feet to push them further up onto the bed. Alice giggles against Hatter's mouth.

Once thy were far enough onto the mattress, Hatter flips them over so that Alice is between his body and the mattress. Another giggle sounds from Alice that quickly changes into a moan when Hatter's mouth latches onto her neck once again. Her hands caress over Hatter's back feeling the muscles ripple beneath her touch.

Hatter slowly kisses his way down Alice's body, pausing to undo and remove her bra, exposing her pale breasts with hard rosy nipples. Hatter dips his head and takes a nipple into his mouth. Alice bites down on her lower lip to keep herself quiet. Hatter caresses his hands over Alice's body, moving to undo her pants and pushing them down so his hands can pet between her legs, even with her panties in the way.

"I've missed your taste, our smell. The feel of your skin." Hatter murmurs against her breast and kisses his way to her other nipple to give it the same treatment as the first. Alice cries out softly and arches into his touch. Her fingers fist in his hair.

Hatter's fingers push the crotch of her panties aside and brushes his fingers through the wet heat of her lower lips. Alice cries out in pleasure again the same time hatter releases a soft growl at the evidence of her arousal for him. He rips himself away from Alice's body and rips her panties and jeans away from her in one smooth motion. He parts her legs wide to get a good view of her dripping sex causing his mouth to water. Hatter dips his head and kisses his way up her body.

"Hatter." Alice says in a pleading tone, her head tipping back as her back crests slightly.

A smirk touches Hatter's lips before he blankets his mouth over Alice's dripping wet core. His tongue circle the tight bundle of muscles that make her clit, invoking a deep moan from Alice's body. Her hands fist the sheets beneath her in a white knuckle grip. Hatter's tongue dips inside her wet heat before going back to teasing her clit.

"Hatter!" Alice cries as her hips nearly shoot off the bed. Hatter's hands hold her down and continue to caress her body to heighten her pleasure. Slowly he brings his fingers closer to her core in slow sweeping motion with every pass of his fingers draw an inch closer until they're just centimeters away.

"Hatter, please, don't tease me like this." Alice pleads and releases a wanton moan when Hatter's fingers finally caress through her fluids and swollen lips. His tongue never relenting on her clit.

Alice moans and whimpers in pleasure as she rocks her hips. Her body humming with the pleasure and arousal running through her blood stream. All too quickly, as if having been purposely deprived of sex for the past eight years. Alice's body succumbs to orgasm. A cry pierces from her lips as her hips back against Hatter's mouth.

Whimpers rain from her lips as Hatter licks her through the endless spasms and shakes that make her orgasm. He slowly slips a finger inside her body causing Alice to cry out again. Hatter looks up at her face to make sure that he isn't causing her pain.

Once he's sure that Alice is alright, Hatter slowly slides his fingers in and out of her body. A moan that sounds from deep within Alice's chest further assures Hatter that he hasn't caused his precious Alice any pain.

Slowly Hatter goes back to licking at Alice's clit. A few thrusts of his fingers later he slips in a second fingers without missing a beat. Alice cries out in pleasure, her back going into another crest. Hopefully he can get a third finger inside her body before she orgasms again. He doesn't want to risk causing her any pain. Not like the first and last time they were together. There had also been blood. Alice had said that it was just a side effect of her never having sex before.

Hatter pushes those thoughts away as he scissors his fingers inside her body, trying to prepare her while his tongue plays over her clit. He inserts a third finger into her body on an inward thrust. With the extra stimulation, Alice quickly rockets into a second orgasm. Hatter licks and thrusts her through every possible spasm. Ringing out every possible quake of pleasure from her slender and delicate body.

Once all the spasming has ceased, Hatter kisses his way up Alice's body and kisses her lips tenderly before settling down beside her. He drapes an arm around her waist. Alice looks up at him.

"You haven't fully undressed yet." She comments softly. Hatter raises his hand and caresses her flushed cheek with his fingertips.

"I don't want to risk hurting you again. There had been so much blood last time." Hatter answers on a whisper. Alice raises a hand to cup his cheek. He closes his eyes and leans into her touch.

"I was a virgin the last time we were together, Hatter. There won't be any blood or pain from here on out. I promise." Alice whispers to him and moves her hands to Hatter's pants. Her fingers swiftly undo his pants and starts to push them down until Hatter takes over and removes the rest of his clothing having to pause to removes his boots.

A smile touches Alice's lips and wraps her arms around Hatter's neck when he looms himself over her. "I promise I'm not lying to you, my sweet Hatter." She coos.

Hatter gives a nod of his head and slowly slips himself inside his Alice's body. He watches the pleasure play over her face that's quickly followed by a moan. The sight and sound goes a long way to ease Hatter's fears. His thrusts start out slow and deep, but he knows that he can't keep this pace. It's been too long since he's know his Alice like this.

Alice wraps her legs around Hatter's waist and locks her ankles against the small of his back. Moans raining from her lips in a constant river. Her moan grow louder the harder and faster Hatter thrusts against her body until she screams his name as a third orgasm claims her body in strong spasms. Unable to hold it off, Hatter quickly follows after her.

Hatter quickly looks down between their body and heaves a sigh of relieve when he doesn't see blood. He collapses onto his side and pulls Alice back to his chest. He feels Alice's body shakes with a silent laugh.

"I told you." She says softly before she releases a yawn.

"Yes, you did." Hatter answers. "Now rest. It's obvious that you're tired." He whispers into Alice's ear. She gives a weak nod before closing her eyes and quickly falls asleep. Hatter presses a kiss to her temple and follows her into bliss.

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><p><strong>That was chapter six. Really long I know, but I have to say it was worth it. This is actually the longest chapter I've ever written out first. Not necessary the longest chapter I've ever typed. See you next chapter my lovelies.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**I know. It's been forever since you've had a chapter update for my loyal readers. See the Favorites and Follows have made my days when I've seen them filling my email inbox. Had a lot going on in my life. My 14 month old daughter that broke the laptop that I had started this on is now three yeas old and now she has an almost six month old brother. Gotten married. I had gotten another laptop, but it came at a bad time and I had no motivation to write. But that problem is now over. So here is Chapter Seven of Finding Wonderland. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Finding Wonderland<p>

Chapter Seven

Alice slowly comes awake as morning sunlight streams in from the French doors that are open. Did Hector come in last night and open them to let in some fresh air? She moves to roll over, but an arm around her waist keeps her still. The blood in her veins still as fear begins to set in. A masculine groan confirms the gender of who's in bed with her.

"It's too early to get out of bed." The familiar voice of Hatter drifts to her ears and soothes her nerves as the memories of last night come crashing back to her. She and Hatter have finally have been reunited. After eight long years. Hatter groans again and pulls Alice closer as he buries his face into her neck.

A small giggle escapes Alice's lips as a smile curves her lips. "We left the French doors open last night, Hatter." She comments softly.

Hatter groans again. "Light is evil." He comments sleepily with a hint of irritation if Alice isn't mistaken.

"That must be why you hate White so much." Alice teases.

Hatter groans again. "No. The reason I hate that vile albino rabbit shaped rodent is because he doesn't have an original thought in his head. Queenie tells him to jump and he eagerly does it, without question." On top of the fact that White Rabbit likes to spend his days pissing Hatter off.

Alice laughs at the creative insult Hatter has for White Rabbit. "He does do that, doesn't he?"

Hatter gives a nod of his head. "He was in the marshes doing recon when I recruited him to come find you."

A confused look crosses over Alice's features. "Why? All that lives there are dragonflies, horseflies, and dwarf trolls."

"Dang, and I thought that the Tweedles live in the marshes." Hatter comments. "He was there because Queenie told him to."

"She had to have been punishing him for something." Alice thinks aloud. "Dwarf trolls are too primitive and are honestly too antisocial to be of any use to the queen."

"And do you honestly think that Heartless Wench will tell us why she sent Rabbit to the marshes?" Hatter asks. He moves so that Alice can see his face as he cocks an eyebrow at her.

"Most definitely no to you, Hatter. You have a habit of calling her heartless wench or queenie. You never show her respect." Alice answer honestly.

"They call her the Queen of Hearts for a reason. She likes, no enjoys, collecting hearts because she doesn't have a heart of her own. And are you saying you give her respect?"

"Yes, Hatter, it does. Everyone in Wonderland deserves respect."

"But she's the one that kept you from returning to Wonderland one you were released from the asylum." Hatter argues while his fingers idly play with the ends of Alice's hair.

"She was doing it to protect Wonderland." Alice counters. Hatter's always looking for a reason to hurt someone he doesn't like, which is everyone in Wonderland besides Dormouse and March Hare. Alice too, but she's not native to Wonderland.

Hatter glowers at her.

Alice glowers back. "Don't you dare try to use me as an excuse to hurt anyone." She says and forces herself out of Hatter's arms. Alice pushes herself out of bed and moves to her dresser to open the top drawer to pull out another set of matching bra and bikini string panties, but in an emerald green color instead of a shade of blue. Hector requested one of the female maids to get her clothes. Alice had given the maid the correct sizes and what she was into. She would have to say the maid did a good job.

Alice hears Hatter force himself out of bed. Hatter has never been a morning person. He'd rather snooze the morning away with Alice in his arms. Hatter walks up behind her and wraps an arm around her waist.

"Please don't be angry with me, Alice." Hatter says softly. He rests his chin on her naked shoulder.

Alice forces herself out of Hatter's arms. She quickly dons her bra and panties, and jeans and another tank top. "Why shouldn't I be angry, Hatter? I know that Dormouse and March Hare are the only people you like in Wonderland, but you don't need to keep me from have more friends. Queen, the Tweedles, Knave, Cheshire, and Caterpillar are my friends; along with White. They give me respect so I give them respect. You get back by what you give, Hatter. You hate them and don't hide it so they don't see a reason to give you anything better." Alice states hastily; trying to keep herself from yelling at the man she loves.

Alice loves Hatter. There's nothing in this world or any other that can be done to change it. But she can't stand how Hatter tries to keep her locked away like some precious gem that needs to be protected at all times. She looks at Hatter and sees the sadness that plays over his features. She quickly pulls on a tank top and jeans before stepping close to Hatter and raises her hands to cup his face in her palms.

"I still love you, Hatter, and there's nothing out there that can change that. I can accept your opinions and everyone in Wonderland, but I will not be the reason you hurt them. More like I refuse to be." Alice says softly and presses a kiss to his lips before stepping away and exiting her bedroom. Thankful that Hatter isn't dressed so he can't follow her.

Alice walks down to the hall to the only other door that's closed. There are plenty more rooms, but her grandmother liked leaving the rooms open. That way you know who's in what room, or more like what room is occupied and what rooms aren't. She raises a hand and gives a light rap against the wood.

"One moment, Alice." She hears White Rabbit say from the other side of the door. A moment later the doorknob turns and the door opens to reveal White Rabbit dressed only in pants, his white blond hair disheveled by sleep.

A deep blush enters Alice's cheeks as she tries not to think of how low his pants are riding on his hips. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." She says and then feels like an idiot for deciding to go to White simply because Hatter was irritating her. Alice makes a turn so that she can walk away, but a hand immerges and grasps her arm with a gentle touch.

"You wouldn't be here if you weren't upset with Hatter." White Rabbit observes. "I was already awake but not dressed when you came knocking on my door. Please come in." He adds and pushes the door open wider for Alice to enter.

"Again, I'm sorry. It just seems to me that Hatter is trying to use me as a reason to hurt people. He was trying to get me to hate the queen. Saying that the reason everyone calls her the Queen of Hears is because she collects hears since she doesn't have one of her own." Alice says in a somewhat ramble as she walks into White Rabbit's guest room.

"It's true. Queen of Hearts doesn't have a heart of her own. She did at one point, but not anymore." White Rabbit answers and goes about finishing getting dressed for the day. "But answer me one thing, Alice."

"What?"

White Rabbit looks at her as his fingers moves through his hair trying to fix it. "After seeing Hatter after eight years, do you still love him? Love him enough to perform the Bonding Ceremony?"

"Yes." Alice answers without any hesitation.

"Then that's all that should matter. As long as there is love between the two of you, that's all that should matter to make it work. Like mind people don't do well together in any kind of relationship beyond friendship."

Alice takes a moment and gives a nod. "You're right."

"I'm always right when it come to a matter of common sense." White Rabbit states calmly.

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><p><strong>I know. You waited all that time just to have such a short chapter. writing the chapters on a counted paged number. Since Chapter six was as long as it was chapter seven was short as a result. Now I'm going to go back through and read through the first six chapters since it's been so long since I've worked on this fic. I'll have Chapter Eight up next week or in a few days since I already have it written. Updates are a going to be little sporadic since I have two children to take care of and I'm working on getting an original story off the ground for myself. See you next time my lovelies!<strong>


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